1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to a pet tray configured to be raised and lowered. More particularly, it relates to a pneumatic double linear actuator configured to raise and lower a rotatably mounted feeding tray.
2. Background Art
Many pet feeders are maintained for cleaning purposes and are replenished with food and water by requiring a user to bend over to access a feeding tray at ground level. The problem with a user bending over is that some users such as the elderly, handicapped, wheel chair bound, surgery patients, or injured individuals do not have the ability to or may find it difficult to bend over to access their pet's food and water tray. Thus, there is a need for a user to access a pet food tray without requiring the user to bend over.
Some prior art pet feeders have a removable handle configured to have an end that connects to the pet feeding tray and another end configured for a user to grasp a handle. A user can grasp the handle portion and lift upwards to raise the feeding tray off the ground. A user is required to connect a portion of the handle to the feeding tray which requires the handle to be accurately positioned within a small opening of the tray. This may pose as a problem for a user that has limited movement or is visually impaired. Further, a user is required to manually lift the tray with the handle. This may be difficult for a user to achieve especially if a user is elderly or suffers from an injury preventing them from lifting. Thus, there is a need for a pneumatic lifting device configured to raise and lower a feeding tray, thereby, eliminating the need for a user to manually lift the pet feeder and eliminating the possibility of a user injuring themselves from manually lifting the pet feeder.
Currently, some pet feeders are configured to be vertically raised and lowered by an electric motor. An electric motor requires the use of a substantial amount of current. Some pet feeders are powered by batteries. The operating lifespan of a battery powered lift is limited to the battery life. The batteries require replacement which can be impractical and costly. Thus, there is a need for a pet feeder having a pneumatic lifting system to eliminate the need for a motor or for batteries.
Additionally, the problem with a pet feeder that is raised and lowered on a lifting device is the restriction of a user's access to the feeding tray. It would be more desirable for a feeding tray to be configured to rotate around the y-axis of the lifting device so that a user can access the feeding tray from a plurality of locations around the lifting device.
However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.